How to remove viewfinder lens of AE-1 for cleaning?

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Hello.

I have an old AE-1 whose viewfinder lens needs a good clean. Does anyone know how to remove it? I can remove the top of the camera easily. I am not sure, however, as to what to do next to remove the eye piece. It appears as if the tungsten wire needs to be removed out of the way, just not sure how best to do that.

Here is a photo of the viewfinder with the top removed:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/lh/photo/UQ9NzBxuv_17xnyUctZKdA?feat=directlink

Thanks.

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Done!

** The gotcha in all this of course is the correct method to use to take off the top of the camera** The rest is easier. Before removing the ASA and speed dial to remove the top, just make sure you set the speed to B and ASA to 3200. This results in the least spring tension in the mechanism. The speed dial has a tab that locks in the white disc under it and to another disc below that white disc. Lift the speed dial just a little, to disengage it from the lowest disk, let it unwind clockwise gradually (along with the white disc). It will turn for around a quarter turn to unwind fully. Only then lift off the ASA speed dial. This will prevent the tungsten wire from breaking.


There are two steps to this. The first is to disengage the tungsten wire from its pulleys (the orange little wheels in the photo I linked to earlier). This should be done very carefully or the wire can break. The wire connects the shutter speed ASA dial to the round brass colored disk around the rewind axle. That brass disk is actually under spring tension and has a little slider under it that connects to the PCB. When the ASA or Tv is changes, the brass disc on the left of the camera (as seen from behind) also rotates and the slider under it moves thus changing a resistance. That resistor is called functional resistor in this camera. So its position is critical. The second step is to remove the viewfinder in a special way.

While disengaging the tungsten wire off the pulleys, gently pick up the white circular disc on the shutter speed dial side *while holding the brass disc on the left hand side to prevent it from spinning under spring tension*. The latter point is very important. Then the white disc on the shutter speed dial can be removed with the wire attached, and the wire can then be disengaged from the pulleys. Now the brass disc, or the functional resistor, will tend to unwind. Let it do so gradually. It will unwind for around 1 and a quarter turns. It greatly helps to take pictures of the positions of these before loosening the wire so that you know what was the position of the dials before disturbing them. Once the wire is out of the way, the viewfinder can be removed.

The viewfinder (lens and its black metal frame) is secured with two screws on its either side. These screws also secure the SPC (photo cell) in its place. The SPC housing sits right above the viewfinder lens. After removing the screws, do not lift off the viewfinder (the black metal frame and the lens), but pull it towards the back of the camera. It will slide out leaving the SPC housing hanging in the air.

Reassembly is the reverse. Just make you wind the functional resistor before laying out the tungsten wire in its path. It goes around 5 little wheels, 4 yellow ones around the viewfinder, and a final white one just before the shutter speed dial.

If anyone needs to see photos that I took of the procedure, just let me know.